Photo source: Under the Canopy by Roman Johnston on Earthshots.org
This coming Saturday, 22nd September, is the autumnal equinox (in the northern hemisphere). It’s the second day of the year in which the light and the darkness are equal to each other (the first is the Spring Equinox), balancing each other perfectly before the next day dawns and we step into autumn and then winter.
The last year these festivals of equinox and solstice have been so attractive to me. I love the connection with nature, with this world and the way we interact with it, the way we celebrate what it gives us, how it protects us and feeds us and clothes us, how its mystery and power remind us of the One who created it all.
As a relative novice to these seasonal celebrations, I’ve been looking around for some advice and I wanted to share what I found with you today, encourage you to join in the celebration of the harvest that comes at this time of year, the abundance and the blessing. And let it help you step into this next season full of gratitude rather than discouragement, full of awareness rather than apathy.
Here’s what I’ve found…
Preparing for Autumn by Christine at Abbey of the Arts.
“In the Benedictine tradition, one of the vows monks take is conversion. Essentially what this vow means is a commitment to being open to a process of continual conversion throughout your life. It means believing that God is far bigger than anything you can ever imagine, and so there will always be more to discover of the sacred. It means committing to a lifetime of change and new beginnings…”
Autumnal Equinox also by Christine at Abbey of the Arts.
“Autumn announces that the world is always changing, always in flux. We tend to think of stasis as the norm, when in reality, if we are paying attention, our whole beings are in constant process. Our bodies and our souls. Change can feel threatening until we realize that tending to this constant unfolding process speaks to us of a God who is dynamic and creating newness at every moment, holding out possibility at every turn.”
Magpie Girl writes about her families’ practise of hosting a big Chilli Fest for the Autumn Equinox, as a way of beginning this season of darkness with an attitude of gratitude.
“In this way we adjust our attitudes. We stop mourning the loss of Summer and start celebrating the goodness of Fall. We become a more grateful people, and we start the season with happy anticipation.”
Do you mark or celebrate the changing seasons in any way? I’d love to hear from you if you do!
